


Traditions

by Lyradaisical



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Lunar New Year's celebrations, Marikim friendship, Minor Kim x Ondine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22751815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyradaisical/pseuds/Lyradaisical
Summary: LNY 2017-2020: Four years of celebration. Marinette and Kim almost always went to the Lunar New Year's festival together. It was their thing.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 86





	1. Food Coma

“So you go to this festival with Kim every year?” Alya blinked in surprise when Marinette explained to her why she couldn’t come over to hang out. Even though Alya couldn’t see her through the phone, she could hear her apologetic tone.

“Almost! My mom is good friends with his mom so we’ve known each other since we were little.” Alya’s mouth fell open like a gaping fish at the new tidbit of information.

“I guess that does make sense. He teases you like you guys have known each other for a long time.” Alya’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought back to all the old school pictures where Kim would hold up a peace sign behind Marinette’s head. “I just haven’t noticed you guys hanging out that much.”

“We just have different interests now. But we still hang out every now and then. Lunar New Year’s is definitely our thing. We go have fun and stuff our faces. He’s started participating in the Lion Dance since last year though so now I spend that portion of the festival by myself. But it’s fun to watch him.” Marinette chuckled as she remembered how energetic he was last year.

“Well… if it’s anything he’s good at, it’s definitely making a show of himself.” Alya sighed. “So I guess we’ll just hang out another time?” She asked.

“Sorry.” Marinette said sheepishly. “Tell your sisters I said hi.”

“Will do. Send pics!”

Marinette sighed as she ended the call, feeling badly that Alya was stuck babysitting her sisters. It was going to be another year with just her and Kim, not that she minded. It was their own little tradition.

The festival was bustling when she arrived. She thankfully got there just in time for Kim’s dance. If she remembered correctly, the dances were performed by members of his martial arts school. She found the energetic movements mesmerizing and had half the mind to ask her parents to let her go to a martial arts school. At the same time, the bright and bold colors of the lions had her fascinated by how they were constructed. She would love to try her hand at constructing one within her lifetime. She had too many interests and not enough time to pursue them.

When the dance ended, a round of applause sounded out. The crowd began to disperse and Marinette stayed behind to wait for Kim. She laughed when he appeared from under the lion’s head, his normally upright hair flopping over his face.

“Great job, Kim!” She called out and began to make her way over.

“Hey, Mari! Just a bit. Let me get all this stuff put away. I’m starving!” He said.

“Oh, wait! Can I get a picture with you and the lion? Alya wanted me to send her some pictures.” Marinette held up her phone.

Taking the phone from her, Kim enlisted the help of one of his fellow lion dancers and the two took a quick picture to send. They didn’t want to keep his stomach waiting after all. Marinette helped them clean up and once they were done, she and Kim headed off towards the nearest food stand.

“It’s a shame Alya couldn’t come.” Marinette frowned. Kim let out a mock gasp and looked at her incredulously.

“You invited Alya to our thing?”

“Oh, hush Kim. You would bring Max with you if he weren’t so averse to loud and crowded areas.” She rolled her eyes. He feigned offense at her words.

“I would never!”

Marinette laughed at his pretend horrified expression and he soon joined in.

“So, anything special you wanted to do today?” Kim asked. Marinette took a few seconds to ponder over his question before answering.

“Hit up all the food stands and then hate ourselves afterward?”

Kim grinned gleefully at her words.

“That’s my girl!”


	2. A Wife for Kim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette was to meet Kim at the festival but Sabine asks her to pass along a few things to Madame Le.

“Marinette, you’re going to the festival with Kim right?” Sabine peeked out of the back door of the bakery to see Marinette sitting on the last step and adjusting her shoes.

“Yes, Maman. Is that okay? Do you need help in the shop?” Marinette asked. It was the Lunar New Year and the bakery had been busy all week. Apart from the usual pastries that they had, Sabine had prepared special traditional treats for the occasion.

“Oh no, you go enjoy yourself. I just wanted to ask you to pass this along to Madame Le.” Sabine said as she held up a red and gold gift bag filled with treats for the Le family.

“Sure! I haven’t seen Auntie in a while. Is there anything else?” Marinette took the bag from Sabine. Sabine simply told her daughter to wish her friend a happy new year for her.

Kim was surprised to see Marinette at his door since they had agreed to meet at the festival. He quickly ushered her in as the February temperatures were colder than usual this year. Marinette shivered as she stepped in, her cheeks and nose rosy from the cold. She was dressed in an adorable pink cape over a mandarin-collared dress. They were no doubt her creations.

“Sorry for the surprise visit. My mom wanted me to deliver some goodies.” Marinette explained as she lifted the bag. “Is Auntie home?” She asked as she slipped off her shoes.

“Yeah, she’s in the kitchen. Let me go grab a few things and we can head out.” Kim said before bounding up the stairs to his room. Marinette walked through the familiar home and found Kim’s mother in the kitchen by the stove.

“Hello, Auntie! Chúc mừng năm mới!” Marinette wished her happy new year with the phrase that Kim had taught her when they were little. It was one of the few things she managed to remember since she often used it to greet others on New Years.

“Oh Mari! Chúc mừng năm mới!” Madame Le smiled happily as she walked over and patted Marinette on the shoulders. “You’ve grown even more beautiful since the last time I saw you. Are you sure you don’t want to marry my idiot son?”

“Ma!” Kim’s voice cut in as he entered the room and Madame Le chuckled at the sight of her blushing son. Marinette giggled, seeing that Madame Le still hadn’t given up on propositioning Marinette’s hand in marriage on behalf of her son.

“This is for you, from Maman.” Marinette decided to have some mercy on Kim and changed the subject. She passed the bag to Madame Le and the woman thanked her graciously.

“Sabine is always going above and beyond. Could I trouble you to pass some things along to your mother as well?” Madame Le asked before turning away and busying herself with the green, square-shaped parcels on the countertop.

“Sure, it’s not a problem.” Marinette laughed. “It looks like you’re working just as hard. You’ve made even more sticky rice cakes this year.”

“Well, that one over there,” Madame Le eyed Kim, “Is always whining about how much he wants some throughout the year so I decided to make extra to freeze.”

Marinette looked at Kim mirthfully and he frowned in return. She had always known him to be a mama’s boy. She found it endearing but he was adamant about keeping it under wraps. Madame Le told Kim to come over to help her and he begrudgingly obeyed, making Marinette giggle as she watched the two work and speak to each other in Vietnamese.

“You should give up on that Bourgeois brat and try to woo Mari instead.” Madame Le mused as she placed a couple of rice cakes into a bag. Kim rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly.

“I’m not gonna woo Mari. She’s like a little sister to me.”

“That’s not what you said two years ago.”

Marinette cocked her head, noticing the distinct flush of Kim’s face and she wondered what they were talking about. Knowing Madame Le, she was still teasing him about his wife prospects. It was confirmed when his eyes met hers and he grew an even deeper shade of red.

“Here you go, darling.” Madame Le handed Marinette the bag of rice cakes to bring home. Kim shifted impatiently, waiting to leave so that his mom couldn’t embarrass him anymore. “And also this,” She said, giving Marinette an insulated jar. “Sweet rice ball soup to keep you warm at the festival.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Marinette smiled.

Kim sighed a breath of relief as they left the home and made their way to the festival. There wasn’t a single time when Marinette had come over that his mom didn’t bring up marriage. He regretted ever letting her find out that he did indeed have a teensy crush on Marinette a while back. But who could blame him? She was pretty and nice.

“So what were you two talking about in there?” Marinette glanced up at him to see his expression turn to annoyance.

“Nothing important.” He grumbled, earning a short laugh from her.

“Based off that answer, I’m guessing she was still trying to get us to marry each other.”

“There’s a reason why I wanted to meet at the festival. You’re officially banned from my house.” He grimaced.

“Oh, it’s not that bad. I think your mom is hilarious.”

“I don’t.”

Despite her constant pestering about marriage, Madame Le was a sweet woman and Marinette adored her. While she did often complain about Kim’s antics, she didn’t hesitate to spoil the boy, like making extra rice cakes for him. Marinette couldn’t help but let out a laugh as a thought entered her mind.

“Good luck trying to get Chloe to make you rice cakes.” She chuckled when he blushed.

“Shut up.”


	3. Lady Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim tries to make some money. Kim fails.

Gambling was a time-honored New Year’s tradition at the Le household. Kim’s favorite poison was a game called “Bầu Cua Tôm Cá”—translation: Gourd, Crab, Shrimp, Fish. It was a simple game. There were six pictures on the board, the four things named in the name of the game and an addition of a rooster and stag. Three dice with sides corresponding to the pictures are shaken within an enclosed container. Players would then place their bets on what picture they thought would show up. After betting, the dice are revealed and if the pictures you bet on appeared on the dice, you would win.

Kim knew from years of experience that the house always won out in the end. So what better way to earn some extra money than having his friends join in on a beloved tradition, with him being the generous house?

His main target: Adrien Agreste. Surely the Agreste heir could stand to lose a few euros. But what he didn’t count on was one Marinette Dupain-Cheng ruining all his plans and emptying out his piggy bank.

He had been doing so well. Max knew better than to join in. But Kim had the wallets of his other classmates in his hands—until Marinette showed up.

She joined the party late due to having to help out at the bakery. But once she was there, she was eager to join in on the fun. It was too bad for Kim that she had luck on her side. It didn’t take long for the rest of the classmates to realize that Marinette seemed to make all the right choices.

One by one, they began to follow Marinette on her bets, reclaiming the money that they had previously lost. Soon enough, the house was bankrupt. Marinette jumped for joy with her newfound riches and Kim just stared blankly at the game in devastation. But his mourning was short-lived. Kim wasn’t going to lie down and accept defeat. Oh no, he had better plans now.

First thing in order: get lady luck on his side. He sidled up to Marinette, leaned down and grinned at her.

“Marinette, how would you like to go after some bigger fish?”


	4. Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes traditions change.

“Alright class, I’ll see you Monday.” The teacher said as the bell chimed, signaling the end of the school day.

“Hey Mari, are you helping your folks out at the bakery on new year’s?” Kim swung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to her.

“For the last time Kim, I’m not helping you gamble.” Marinette replied exasperatedly despite an amused smirk appearing on her face. Kim rolled his eyes at her accusation.

“I’m asking about the festival.” He clarified.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. It’s _our_ thing, right?” Marinette chuckled. She was met with silence and noticed that his lips were pressed in a thin line. She raised a brow at his sudden shiftiness. He looked nervous and his eyes avoided hers.

“I’m doing the lion dance again this year and Ondine wanted to come watch.” He said cautiously. She blinked at him, not understanding why that would be such a problem.

“That sounds great! She and I can keep each other company while you’re doing your thing.” She said.

“You’re okay with it?”

It was always strange to see Kim nervous about something. He was usually so confident and full of himself that it felt out of place. They did often joke that going to the Lunar New Year’s festival together was their thing but it was never written in stone that it had to be exclusive. She assured him that she didn’t mind but he still left with an unsure look on his face. She was actually excited to get to know Ondine better.

When Marinette arrived at the festival the next weekend, she saw Ondine wishing Kim luck before he went off to get ready. Marinette called to her and waved.

“Are you excited?” Marinette asked as she walked up to her.

“I am! I’ve never seen Kim do something like this before so I can’t wait.” She said. Marinette smiled at her enthusiasm.

“Kim’s been a goofball since we were little. He was always good at physical activities, though it often got him into a lot of trouble.” Marinette scratched her cheek sheepishly as she remembered the time he beat up another boy for picking on her when they were younger. “So it’s nice to see him directing his energy towards something like this.” Marinette chuckled.

“You two sound close. I feel like I’m intruding.” Ondine laughed.

“Oh, no. Not at all. I’m really happy that he’s brought you. Now I don’t have to stand here by myself. The more, the merrier, right?” Marinette smiled.

The dance kicked off to the rhythm of the drums and the girls turned their full attention to the performance. Marinette giggled when she heard Ondine’s astounded ‘wow’ next to her. Surely, Kim was doing his best to impress her. Marinette was happy for him, that he found someone who truly liked him for who he was. She thanked god that he and Chloe never became a thing. If she ever had to pick out his biggest fault, it would be his former crush on Chloe.

Like the previous years, when the dance ended, Marinette waited for Kim so that they could go and enjoy the festival. But at least she had company this year to help pass the time. They chatted about school and hobbies and even poked fun at Kim for a bit. She had to wonder if maybe she was in the way. She hadn’t considered that maybe Kim was actually planning on going with just Ondine. She froze at the thought, wondering if she was being an obnoxious third wheel. Maybe it would be better for her to just greet him once he’s done and then split.

“Thanks again for letting me come. Kim told me that this was something that you two did together every year and I felt badly about butting in.” Ondine looked apologetic, as if she were the one tagging along as third wheel.

“What? No. It really is fine. I mean, I’ve tried inviting others in the past even though it never panned out. Alya is usually stuck with babysitting on weekends; same with Nino. And Adrien…” Marinette sighed. “I always told myself that he’d be too busy or wouldn’t be allowed to come anyway, so I never asked. Though that was just me being a huge chicken and not having the guts to ask him.” She gave Ondine a resigned smiled. “I’m kind of jealous of you. I was never able to tell Adrien how I feel.”

Ondine opened her mouth to reply but her lips suddenly pressed tightly together as her eyes shifted over and widened in surprise. In confusion, Marinette turned to her left to see Kim and Adrien standing there, Kim with an ‘oh no’ look plastered on his face and Adrien looking a cross between surprised and concerned. From their expressions alone, Marinette was sure that they had overheard.

“H-hey,” Adrien started. But before he could get any other words out, Marinette’s hand shot forward and grabbed Kim’s arm, pulling him away from their companions. Her face burned in humiliation.

“What the hell, Kim!” She let go of his arm once they were far enough and faced him. “Why is Adrien here?” She berated him. But upon seeing the guilty look on his face, she tried to calm herself. “I’m sorry. I’m not—” She exhaled, telling herself that Kim would never purposely do anything to hurt her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so angry. I just—” She thought back to Adrien’s expression and cautious greeting and brought her hands up to her face to muffle her mortified scream.

“I’m sorry. I thought it’d be a nice surprise. It’s just… it’s been just the two of us since forever and— with Ondine— I felt like I was messing up our thing and— we needed a last minute replacement for one of our guys and Adrien was available and—”

“Wait. Slow down, Kim.” She held her hands up in front of her and motioned for him to take it easy. He caught his breath and gathered himself.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. “I figured if I was inviting Ondine, that it’d be nice for you to have someone… And I was pretty sure that you still liked Adrien.” He explained. Marinette face-palmed and sighed. A little part of her wondered if she was so pathetic that Kim, of all people, thought to set her up on a pseudo-blind date. But that aside, his concern was unwarranted.

“You’re such a big doofus.” She said as she stepped forward to give him a hug. “You don’t have to feel so badly about ‘breaking’ our tradition. You’re still here at the festival with me, right? It doesn’t matter if we have others with us.” She smiled. “This was going to happen sooner or later, you know. Of course, I would have preferred being the first to get a date, but I’m happy for you, Kim.” She pulled back and gave him a crooked grin. Kim sighed in relief but he suddenly remembered the _tiny little_ _problem_ that occurred just a few minutes earlier.

“So uh… about what you said about not being able to tell Adrien how you feel…” He started cautiously. Marinette stilled at his words, she too, remembering the reason why they were split off from the group in the first place. A cry of sheer humiliation escaped her lips as she clutched her head in dread.

“Come on, let’s head back. Don’t worry, I’ll be your wingman.” He flexed his arms ridiculously, making her laugh involuntarily.

“It’s kind of late for that now considering he already overheard me talking about him.” She sighed.

“Minor details, Mari. I can do it. I was Cupid once before, you know.” He boasted and threw his arm around her shoulders. Marinette snorted at his words.

“Dark Cupid doesn’t count, Kim.”


End file.
